Trousers press



Sep'. 'E. 1,552,523

1. R. WATTS TROUSERS PRES S Filed Feb. 1922 15 'j P j Patented Sept. 8,1925.

UNITED STATES JOHN ROBERT WATTS, OF SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND.

TROUSERS PRESS.

Application led February 3, 1922.

To all 107mm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN ROBERT lVATTs, a subject of the King ofEngland, residing at Sheffield, in Yorkshire, England, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Trousers Presses;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.

rlhis invention relates to trousers presses of the kind in whichpressure is applied between upper and lower hinged boards by the aid ofarms pivoted near the edges of the lower board, usually at the ends oftransverse ribs 0r metal strips, and engaging like transverse ribs onthe upper board, the object of the invention being to provideimprovements in the construction with a view to simplify manipulation.

The pressure has usually been applied by nuts on screw-threaded ends ofthe arms, although various forms of cam levers for applying pressurehave been used, and it has been proposed to pivot Icam-levers to nuts onsuch pivoted arms where the boards are not hinged together. According tothe present invention, however, the upper and lower boards are hingedtogether on one side, preferably by direct pivotal engagement oftransverse ribs on the two boards, and a member (which is hereinafterreferred to a planetary member to denote that it is rotatable about itsown axis, which axis may be revolved about an axis on the lower lzfoard)is journalled in an arm which is piroted to the other side of the bottomboard. (lo-operating surfaces are provided on the planetary member andon the upper boardpreferably on a rib thereof) which surfaces are soshaped that pressure is applied between the boards when the surfaces arebrought into contact with one another and the planetary member is turnedabout its axis. TWhen the pressure between the upper and lower boardsmay be more or less concentrated, as in clamping one end of a pair oftrousers before stretching the garment, a single set of co-operatingsurfaces may be provided on the planetary member and on the upper board.When, however, it is desired to distribute the pressure, as in pressinga pair of trousers, instead of providing a number of independentlyoperated pressure devices, it is preferred to journal a single planetarymember between two arms spaced apart ,on the lower board serial No.533,935.

and to provide two or more sets of cooperating surfaces on the memberand on the upper board respectively spaced apart to distribute thepressure so that a single operation of one handle with which theplanetary member is furnished is sufficient to apply pressure over thedesired extent.

The co-operating surfaces on the planetary member and on the upper boardpreferably comprise an eccentric disc or cam on the planetary membercapable of engaging a rib on the upper board and of applying pressurethereto. rfi retaining catch for the disc may be provided on the upperboard and is preferably furnished by making the surface on the upperboard which 'cooperates with the eccentric disc concave in shape. Thedisc may also be shaped to novidc a step contacting with the rib of theupper board to limit the movement of the planetary member. By formingthe disc with a tangential flat portion at the desired place, or with apart shaped to correspond witli thc co-operating surface on the upperboard, not only will such a stop be furnished thereby, but the planetarymember may he retained in the pressure producing position when thetangential flat portion or corresponding surface on the disc is broughtinto contact with the co-operating surface on the upper board.

I In the accompanying drawings Figure. l is a plan of trousers pressaccording to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional end View of Figure l on the line 2-2 thereof,showing the means for applying pressure turned clear of the edge of thepress.

Figure 3 is an end vview of part of the press showing the means forapplying pressure moved partially towards the operative position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figur-e 3 showing the parts in positionapplying pressure.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4t illustrating a modification.

Figure 6 is an enlargement of part of Figure 5.

connected together by a pair of transverse ribs 2. It is hinged at oneside to the bottom board 3 preferably by direct pivotal eugagement ofthe ribs 2 with similar transverse ribs 4 secured to the underside ofthe lower board 3, for which purpose the ribs 2 are formed withprojecting tongues 5 on one side of the press Vhaving lateral eXtensionsengaged by forked upturned portions 6 of the lower board ribs 4.

A planetary member 7 is journalled between arms 8 which are pivoted ator near the edge of the lower board 3 on the side opposite to the hinges5, 6. In the construction illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, the twoarms 8 are provided by suitably bending the ends of a rod rotatablymounted in the ends of the ribs 4 parallel with the edge of the lowerboard 3. The ends of the planetary member 7 and of the arms 8 are formedwith corresponding` pivots and bearings which are caused to engage oneanother when bending the arms 8 into position. If desired, however,other means for pivoting the planetary member 7 between the arms 8 maybe provided.

The arms 8 are spaced apart on the bottom board 3, with the two pairs ofribs 2, 4, between them. The length of the planetary member 7 isgoverned by the distance apart of the arms 8 and it is provided with ahandle 9 by means of which it may be turned about either its own aXis orthat of the arms 8; it is also furnished with suitably Y `trated inFigures 1 to 4 the planetary member 7 is provided with an eccentric discor cam 10 opposite each of the ribs 2. In operation the arms 8 areturned clear of the edge of the press as shown in Figure 2, the upperboard 1 is raised about its hinges 5, 6, the garment to be pressed isplaced in position the upper boards are turned down thereon and the arms8 are raised to a vertical position as shown in Figure 3, theeccentricity of the discs 10 enabling them to clear the ends of the ribs2 as shown in Figure 3. Pressure may now be applied between the upperand lower boards by turning the planetary member about its own axis .tobring the eccentrics 10 into the position Vshown in Figure 4. In orderto limit rotation of the planetary member 7 when the maximum pressurehas been applied, one or both of the eccentric discs 10 may be providedwith a tangential portion 11 adapted to come into contact with thesurface of the ribs 2 as shown in Figure 4.

A retaining catch may be provided to hold the parts in the positionshown in Figures 5 and 6. It is conveniently furnished by curving thatpart of the surface of the ribs 2 which cooperates with the edge of itseccentric 10 to apply pressure between the boards as shown at 12 inFigures 5 and 6. lThe curved concave surface 12 may either be providedby suitably bending the ribs 2 or otherwise as desired. When the curvedsurface 12 is employed itis preferred to modify the tangential flatportion 11 to correspond in shape therewith as indicated in Figure 6.

As a modification the eccentric discs 10 may be replaced by simple armsor the like 13 on the planetary member 7 co-operating with suitablyshaped surfaces 14 on the ribs 2 as illustra-ted in Figure 7.

It will be appreciated that by spacing apart the arms 8 and the discs 10or arms 13 pressure applied may be distributed along the whole length ofthe upper-board 1 by a single operation of the handle 9. I/Vhere,however, the pressure may be concentrated the planetary member 7 may belprovided with a single disc as shown at the left-hand end of Figure l.and in Figure 8, where means are illustrated for clamping the ends of apair of trousers before stretching them, comprising a single rib 15connecting two clamping boards 16 and hinged to a like rib 17 securedbelow the lower board, the rib 17 carrying the arms 18 between which theplanetary member 19 with its handle 20 is pivoted.

That I claim is In a trousers press, the combination of upper and lowerboards hinged together at one side, two arms spaced apart and pivo-tedat the other side of the lower board, a planetary member journalledbetween the said arms, a handle extending radially from the saidplanetary member, ribs on the upper board spaced apart, eccentric discson the planetary member each having a flattened portion parallel to thesaid handle, the

rounded portion of each disc adapted tovengage the upper surface of arib and the flattened portion of each disc being capable of coming intocontact withA a rib to limit the rotational movement of the planetarymember in one direction. n

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JOHN V,ROBE-m wAfrTs.

